Michael & Niall Biggins March/April 2023 update
Performance
- Calving almost done but weather a big issue in March
- Cows and calves re-housed
- Livestock weighing results
Grassland
- Fertiliser application at a standstill- Delay in closing for silage
- Good grass covers but poor ground conditions
Performance
Overall, the calving has gone very well and all will be calved by the end of April. There have been some issues with a small number calves unable to suckle properly. The vet has advised supplementing with iodine. The most recent calving report from ICBF highlights excellent Key Performance Indicators (KPI)for 2023. This report excludes the 5 cows left to calve . The main KPI’s ie the calving interval of 366days coupled with 0.94 calves /cow/year and with low mortality will directly drive the output of the farm in a positive way.
While February was ideal for turning out freshly calves cows onto dry fields - March and early April have been the direct opposite. With the continuous heavy rainfall , ground conditions deteriorated and cows and calves had to be re-housed. Fortunately, the farm had surplus bales and fodder was not an issue.
Michael and Niall managed to keep the first calvers out on grass in sheltered fields. These are a priority group and need to build body condition to at least 2.5 in order to back in calf in May. Michael moved the group on a daily basis in order minimize poaching.
Pic: Temporary creeps for rehoused cows
Heifer Weights
24 yearling heifers were weighed on March 5th. The average weight was 345kgs and they had a gain of 0.57kgs per day since the last weighing. The heifers are on silage only and this is a group that will be let out to grass as soon as ground conditions allow. The ADG from Birth needs to be averaging over 1kg/day.
Grassland
The farm has received 20 units of Protected nitrogen per acre and grass growth has responded well (see pic). Due to a very wet march , cows and calves had to be re-housed.
With cattle been re-housed in March , grass cover on the farm has increased to 1073kgs/DM/ha and currently there is 45 days ahead. The priority is to get all stock out as soon as possible.
By the middle of April no slurry has been applied to the silage ground. The silage areas have been grazed and once ground conditions improve 3000gals per acre will be applied.
Breeding
A sub-fertile bull was identified and culled. The month of February was spent sourcing a Ch bull for the breeding season which will start at the end of april. The following bull was purchased;
The bull is genotyped and will be used on the mature cows. He is a 5 star terminal at €179 and has good figures for carcase weight at 46.2kgs. This is a key trait in Michael and Niall’s system.